1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for the actuating of a valve for emptying a flush tank, in particular for a water-tank reservoir for flushing of a toilet bowl.
2. Brief Description of the Background of the Invention Including Prior Art
Water-flush tanks are all equipped with an emptying or discharge device. These tanks are generally located either at a certain height, where the emptying device is actuated by a lever, extended by a chain or by another known means, or they are located right above the toilet bowl, where the tanks are covered with a cover lid, outfitted with a pushbutton which has to be pushed or pulled in order to initiate the emptying.
The emptying or discharge devices disposed at a higher level, although functioning well in general, are cumbersome and do not allow the interruption of the water flow since one cannot manually close the valve with the pull chain. This represents an inconvenience, since frequently only a part of the water contained in the flush tank would be sufficient to rinse the toilet bowl, which would allow to economize considerable amounts of water.
The devices operated by a pull cord or pull chain, even if they allow an interruption of the water flow by again pulling the chain downwardly, nevertheless represent the inconvenience of being fragile, they twist, they are pulled out, or they are broken.
In order to provide a solution to this inconvenience, there have been created emptying devices operated by push button This technique is characterized by the inversion of the motion. The valve is lifted and opened by pushing a button downwardly by a short-stroke distance (the relative motions of the valve and of the pushbutton are inversed), which button then returns by the action of a spring, while allowing the water to empty. According to this technique, there exist also simple-action pushbuttons, where the mechanic construction only allows the opening of the valve. These buttons have the advantage of being less costly and being sturdy, but they do not allow the interruption of the water flow.
There exist further dual-action pushbuttons which allow, in a first step, to open the valve (upward movement) by pushing the button (downward movement) and, in a second step, to close the valve (downward movement) before the complete emptying of the tank by pushing the button (downward movement) a second time. Such a device is, for example, taught in the French Patent No. FR 2,548,328. A pushbutton is vertically displaced and comes to rest on a lever connected to a linking rod, which controls the opening or the closing of the emptying or discharge valve. According to the position of the lever, i.e. depending on whether the valve is open or closed, the button, by moving downwardly, lowers or lifts the lever and can thus interrupt the flow of the water. In order that the same vertical displacement of the pushbutton can provide two opposite results (opening - closing), the device comprises an extending member, which pivots laterally between two positions, one for each function.
These devices nevertheless present the inconvenience of being complex due to the inversion mechanics of the movement. They are cumbersome and they are difficult to adapt to the different height levels of the tank.
On the other hand, there exists some kind of standard relating to cover lids of ceramic toilet tanks. This standard is characterized by dimensions and by a central opening, at the position of the axis of the emptying or discharge valve, which is provided for the placing of the operating member of the emptying or discharge device.
The construction specialists of emptying or discharge devices consequently look to provide devices which are to be furnished for mounting on these cover lids having an axial opening. The apparatus precedingly taught, with pushbuttons, are part of this group.
There are also other devices allowing to simply interrupt the emptying, in particular the device with a hinge or pivot described in the German Patent No. DE 3,605,188.
This device teaches a member disposed on the side of the tank, which pivots around an axis between two positions. The member is connected to the axis of the valve by an arm, which acts as lever, in such a way that one position of the member actuates the lever, which opens the valve, and the other position of the member inversely actuates the lever, which closes the valve. Nevertheless, this device cannot be disposed on the cover lids having an axial opening.